Best Tea Kettle Reviews in 2018

When it comes down to it, there’s nothing quite like a good cup of tea. Of course, to get there you’re going to need to make sure that you have an awesome kettle. They’re definitely not equal and regardless of whether you’re looking for an advanced electronic kettle with precise temperature controls or just a simple kettle you’re in good hands with us.

We’ve pulled five of the best kettles we could find, making sure that there really is something for everyone. If you’re not looking for something super specialized we recommend the Electric Gooseneck Kettle with Preset Variable Heat Settings, it’s a bit expensive but it’s easily the best solution for the largest number of consumers. If you want to ensure a perfect fit, however, then read on.

Bestoverallpick!

Best overall: Electric Gooseneck Kettle

If you’re a true tea lover, then this Doctor Hetzner kettle is exactly what you’ve been waiting for your entire life. It’s fairly cheap, precise, and simple to use to make sure you get the most out of each cup.

1. Best Overall

Electric Gooseneck Kettle with Preset Variable Heat Settings

This kettle from Doctor Hetzner is a dream come true. With fine temperature controls and a 1.2L capacity it’s the perfect kettle for those who really love their tea.

The accurate temperature control is the main draw here, since different teas require different temperatures in order to give precisely the flavors you need.

Despite the advanced controls, you’ve also got a kettle here which is super easy to operate. If you’re having black tea, or a fit of apathy about your tea in general, you can just turn it on quickly to set it to a boil or you can set it with super simple controls.

The stainless steel construction is quite nice as well, keeping the corrosion to a minimum and making it a long-lasting product.

Pros and Cons

Super fine temperature control for getting the most out of your tea

Stainless steel, corrosion resistant construction

1200W leads to super-fast heating of the water

Super simple controls despite advanced functionality

A bit expensive

Spout is a little bit small

2. Best Small Tea Kettle

4-Cup Stainless Steel Goose-neck Style

Product Rating4.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

If you don’t have the time to wait for a ton of water to heat up in the morning, then you’re looking for a small tea kettle. This one has a capacity of roughly 1.0L and will heat up quickly and smoothly to allow you to enjoy your cup of tea that much faster. It has an easy to operate goose-neck spout to allow for dramatic, and precise, pours of tea as well.

The whole thing is built of stainless steel, providing you with great quality at a decent price. The stainless steel is very corrosion resistant as well, making it a long-lasting fixture in your kitchen.

Add in the rubberized, easy-grip handle and you’ve got a clear winner when it comes to having a small and convenient kettle on your countertop. If you’re looking for a small, fast-boiling kettle then you’ll be in good hands with this option. Give it a shot, and save the best tea for yourself.

3. Best Stovetop Tea Kettle

Surgical Whistling Stove Top Kettle Teapot

If you’re insistent that a stove top kettle is what you’re looking for, then this 2.6L kettle is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s big, it’s pretty, and it whistles. What more could you ask for?

While we strongly recommend electric kettles, there’s definitely soothing about the traditional method of making tea that you simply can’t get for them. Aesthetics is a big part of it, of course, but that high pitched whistle can make things quite lovely first thing in the morning as well.

On top of that, this teapot is actually well-engineered. The bottom layer is comprised of three different metals to let things heat up evenly and, more importantly quickly. If you’re going to go with a stove top kettle, then we strongly recommend this beautiful piece from Willow & Everett.

Pros and Cons

Multiple metal bottom for quick and even heating

2.6L capacity

Silicone handle to prevent burns

Easy access to the kettle opening contained within the handle ring

Not electric

A bit expensive

4. Best Large Tea Kettle

BESTOPE Electric Kettle

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

With a 2.0L capacity and a 1000W burner, this tea kettle from BESTOPE isn’t going to be the fastest on the market but it makes up with it for the ability to serve the whole room off of a single boil. When it comes down to it, some of us need a massive tea kettle, whether it’s because we can’t stop drinking tea or need to serve whole parties.

The electronics are pretty great, with automatic shut-off and a couple of other safety features to keep both you and your kitchen in good hands. Add in the stainless steel construction for resistance to rust and you’ve got a clear winner.

The base is also 360° rotatable, which makes it easy and convenient to find a place on the counter where you can fit the kettle. If you’ve got to have a lot of tea, you’re not going to do any better than this fantastic offering from BESTOPE.

Pros and Cons

Huge 2.0L capacity

360° base allows for maneuverability

Stainless steel construction to keep the rust off

Generous pour spout for quick pouring among the interested parties

No fine temperature controls

Takes up quite a bit of counter space

5. Best Budget Tea Kettle

Ovente KG83 Series

Product Rating3.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

If you’re looking for an awesome electric kettle that won’t cost you any more than most stove top kettles then you’re in the right place. This 1.5L glass electric teapot is pretty awesome. It also has a convenient blue LED which lights up once the water is boiling, making for a handy visual indicator that it’s time to get pouring.

The stay-cool handle is pretty nice as well, allowing you to easily lift the kettle for pouring once it’s gotten going. The only real flaw is a lack of temeperature control.

For a budget kettle, you’re not going to do any better than this great little kettle from Ovente.

Pros and Cons

Super cheap and affordable

1.5L capacity places it perfectly between small and large kettles

Blue LED indicator when the water is boiling

Glass construction is easy to clean and won’t ever rust

No fine temperature control

Construction quality is pretty mediocre

Picking the Right Tea Kettle for You

Depending on whether you’re a tea fanatic or just want to ensure that you’ve got something which reliably gets the brew going, you’re likely to have much different needs.

And budget ranges.

Which you go with is really up to you and your budget.

Stovetop vs. Electric

We’ll come out and say it we prefer electric kettles. The fine temperature controls allow you the best chance of ending up with a perfect cup of tea.

This is mainly due to the fact that really only black tea needs a rolling boil to get you going.

If you’re looking for a stovetop kettle, you’re better off reading about metaullurgy than following the rest of our article.

That said, a cheap, stainless steel stovetop can be good for those tea enthusiasts who have a tight budget. The main qualities you need are good conduction and corrosion resistance.

When you get into electric kettles, however, there’s a whole lot more to take into account.

Temperature Controls

Your temperature controls need to be accurate.

Different teas require different temperatures, after all.

If you were unaware, consult our handy table to see which temperature is best for your favorite tea:

Tea

Temperature(°F)

Time

Green

165-175°

1-2 min

White

165-175°

1-2 min

Oolong

175-185°

2-3 min

Black

210°

2-3 min

Herbals

210°

3-6 min

Mate

160-170°

3-4 min

It’s pretty easy to see why you want to spend some time making sure you have an accurate temperature control. The ranges aren’t super tight but you need to be fairly accurate.

Unfortunately, cheaper electronic rheostats and other temperature devices can be off by 15°F easily and that can mean you’re not getting a perfect cup of tea.

One thing is good about all of this: usually even a cheap control is pretty consistent, which means that you may need to play with the dial a bit in order to ensure you’ve got the best fit but once you have it you can extrapolate from there.

Corrosion Resistance

The biggest complaint we see about kettles is that they rust.

It’s more prevalent with stovetop kettles, due to their cheaper construction, but you can run into this with low end electric kettles as well. Keep that in mind if you opt to save a few bucks and go with a knock-off.

Of course, almost no kettle is going to be 100% resistant but a good kettle should work for a long time without needing to be washed and dried meticulously between every use in order to make sure that it doesn’t rust overnight.

Capacity

How much tea you regularly drink is probably the most important fact for most consumers.

It might seem wise to go with the biggest one you can afford, just to have the hot water around, but you may want to skip on that.

Bigger kettles will take longer to heat, all other things being equal. If you just need a couple of cups in the early morning or late evening of your favorite tea, you don’t really want to spend a whole lot of time standing around and waiting for it to get to temperature.

Instead, you should look for something which provides a smaller amount. If you’re impatient this will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Of course if you regularly serve others then a larger kettle makes a lot of sense.

A larger kettle is also good for those who plan on drinking tea throughout the day and don’t want to have to bother refilling their kettle over and over.

Electronics

The electronics in a kettle can range from really simple, basically a heating element and a rheostat, to quite complex.

In general, more advanced electronics will afford you some small conveniences while also adding quite a bit to the cost.

You might be able to find the following when you’re looking through kettles:

Automatic turn offs can keep your kettle from boiling off your tea or burning the bottom when the level of tea is low.

Signals when the tea has reached temperature, or finished brewing, are quite good.

LCD screens for quickly being able to read the temperature or whatever variable you’re working with

There’s really not much to these devices, but some will have some other little bells and whistles that can keep you going.

The Spout

The spout is probably the biggest convenience factor attached to your new kettle. Ideally you can flip a switch, it will open, and stay open.

Less ideally, you might find a thumb switch which will hold it open as long as things are depressed.

Some can be downright problematic, but we’ve avoided those kettles in our recommendations as we feel that it can pretty much ruin a kettle.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a seasoned tea lover or an inexperienced novice, buying the best tea kettle available can be a huge help in the kitchen. Whether you opt for a super advanced model or a lower-end stovetop is up to you, but we feel it’s an investment that will pay for itself in a hurry.